Spin-polarized current switching of a Co thin film nanomagnet

A thin film Co nanomagnet in the shape of an elongated hexagon has been incorporated in a vertical device structure consisting of the nanomagnet and a thin Cu spacer layer formed on top of a thick Co film. The spin-polarized current flowing between the nanomagnet and the Co film is used to abruptly switch the magnetic alignment of the nanomagnet relative to that of the thick Co layer by the transfer of spin angular momentum from the conduction electrons to the nanomagnet moment. The shape anisotropy in the nanomagnet promotes the single domain behavior required for nonvolatile memory applications. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)04549-6].